How Automatic Mounting is Enabling Extended Color Gamut (ECG) Printing in Flexography

Martijn Otten is the Managing Director of AV Flexologic, a leading company in flexographic printing technologies. With years of experience in driving technological innovations in the flexo industry, Martijn oversees the development and implementation of cutting-edge solutions such as the SAMM 3.0 and RoboCELL. His expertise spans a range of technical and business areas, including automation, lean manufacturing, and advanced technologies that shape the future of flexographic printing.

Introduction

In the flexographic printing industry, Extended Color Gamut (ECG) printing is becoming increasingly popular. By expanding beyond the traditional CMYK color model with additional colors like orange, green, and violet, ECG allows for more vibrant and precise color reproduction. However, implementing ECG in flexo presents a significant challenge: precise plate mounting. Without high-accuracy plate mounting, achieving the color consistency required for ECG is nearly impossible. Customers and industry experts alike have indicated that automatic plate mounting is the key enabler for ECG printing in flexo. Systems like the AV Flexologic SAMM and FAMM series provide the precision, speed, and efficiency required for ECG to become a viable and scalable solution in flexographic printing.

Precision is Essential for ECG in Flexography

ECG printing introduces more plates to the printing process, each requiring perfect alignment for accurate color reproduction. In traditional CMYK printing, registration errors are more manageable, but with ECG’s expanded color set, even minor misalignments can lead to significant color shifts and quality issues. Therefore, achieving precise color-to-color registration is critical to maintain print integrity.

Without the accuracy provided by automatic plate mounting, the complexities introduced by ECG would lead to unacceptable levels of waste, press downtime, and operational inefficiency. Traditional manual mounting methods cannot deliver the precision and repeatability needed for ECG, making automatic mounting systems a necessity.

How Automatic Mounting Technologies Enable Flexo ECG Printing

Automatic mounting systems are essential to the success of ECG printing in flexography. These systems allow for the precision, speed, and repeatability that are impossible to achieve consistently through manual methods. Advanced systems, such as the AV Flexologic SAMM and FAMM series, provide the following benefits that make ECG possible in flexographic printing:

Precision with Micron-Level Accuracy: Automatic mounting systems use robotic arms and vision systems to position and mount plates with an accuracy of 5 microns or better. This level of precision ensures that all plates align perfectly, which is vital for the consistent registration required in ECG printing.
Efficiency and Speed: These systems can mount plates in as little as 30 seconds per plate, drastically reducing setup times. For ECG jobs, which often involve multiple plates, this speed allows for faster job turnarounds while ensuring consistent, high-quality results.
Advanced Vision Technology: Image recognition software detects and measures mounting marks to automatically adjust plates for exact placement. This eliminates the need for manual adjustments, ensuring that all plates are perfectly aligned without operator intervention.

Cost Benefits of ECG Printing in Flexography

Beyond enabling greater color possibilities, ECG printing also offers significant cost advantages to flexographic printers. One of the main cost benefits comes from reducing the need for spot colors. By using an expanded set of fixed colors (such as CMYK plus OGV), printers can replicate a wide range of colors without requiring custom inks for each job. This not only reduces ink inventory but also shortens setup times and reduces the complexity of color matching during production.

Moreover, automatic mounting further enhances the cost-effectiveness of ECG by reducing material waste and minimizing press downtime. Precise mounting eliminates common issues such as plate misalignment and the need for reprints, which are particularly costly in ECG jobs that involve multiple plates. By ensuring high accuracy from the start, automatic systems enable printers to run jobs faster and more efficiently, thus increasing the overall competitiveness of flexographic printing in industries like packaging and labels.

With ECG, flexo printers can offer brands more vibrant and detailed designs while keeping costs under control. This enables flexographic printers to compete more effectively with other printing technologies, such as digital printing, by offering a wider color range and superior print quality at competitive prices.

Key Benefits of Automatic Mounting for Flexo ECG Printing

Superior Color-to-Color Registration

Automatic mounting systems ensure that each plate is mounted with extreme precision, allowing for perfect color-to-color registration. This is crucial for ECG printing, where each additional color must align perfectly with the others to achieve the desired output without color shifts.

Increased Productivity

Automatic mounting dramatically reduces setup times. For ECG jobs, which involve mounting multiple plates, this translates into less downtime and more productive press time. The result is higher throughput and the ability to take on more jobs without compromising on quality.

Reduced Waste

Misalignments in manual mounting lead to wasted material, ink, and time. By ensuring plates are mounted correctly on the first attempt, automatic mounting systems reduce the need for reprints and adjustments. This is especially important for the multi-plate setups in ECG printing.

Operator Independence

Automatic mounting systems reduce the dependency on highly skilled operators. With systems like the SAMM 3.0 and FAMM 3.0, operators can mount plates quickly and accurately, allowing companies to scale up production without requiring extensive training or specialized expertise.

Case Study: How Automatic Mounting Enables ECG in Flexo

A leading German packaging printer recently implemented an automatic plate mounting system to enhance their ability to produce ECG jobs. Prior to automation, they struggled with frequent registration errors and lengthy press setups that reduced overall efficiency. By adopting an automatic mounting system, they achieved a 50% reduction in setup times and significantly improved their color registration accuracy. As a result, they could take on more complex ECG jobs with less waste and faster turnaround times, improving their competitiveness in a demanding market.

The Future of Flexo ECG Printing with Automatic Mounting

As demand for vibrant, detailed packaging and labels grows, automatic plate mounting systems will continue to be critical to the success of ECG printing in flexography. The precision, speed, and operator independence offered by systems like the AV Flexologic SAMM and FAMM series, as well as similar technologies, are essential for printers looking to stay competitive in a market where quality and efficiency are paramount.

By adopting these technologies, flexo printers can offer high-end printing capabilities with faster turnarounds and lower operational costs, helping them capture a larger share of the market while meeting the needs of brands seeking superior print quality.

Conclusion

Automatic mounting systems are not just a convenience—they are an enabler for ECG printing in flexography. The precision, speed, and cost savings they bring allow flexo printers to unlock the full potential of ECG, providing clients with exceptional color reproduction while maintaining competitive pricing. As the demand for more vibrant, high-quality printing continues to grow, adopting advanced mounting technologies will be crucial for any flexographic printer looking to lead the way in this exciting era of printing.